Heart of the matter
by samanddianefan10
Summary: AU. Right after episode "taking liberties". Niles is hospitalized for heart problems before he can divorce Mel. Mel has the upper hand and flaunts it in front of Daphne every chance she gets. complete story
1. Chapter 1

Ok this is my first attempt at Frasier fanfic, - any suggestions would be appreciated!! it's been a long time since I've seen the show in chronological order. I can remember scenes that I like, but I couldn't tell you exactly when things happened. Does anyone know when Niles was in the hospital, was it before he married Daphne? This story is going to assume that it happened before they were engaged. I'll have more chapters up shortly.

This takes place while Niles is hospitalized. Daphne, Frasier, and Martin are all sitting in the waiting room. No one spoke a word, because they didn't want to admit to their fears. Martin loved his son, even though he never told him that very often. Unlike his late wife, who wasn't shy in her adoration of her sons. The elder Crane started tapping on the silver cane that he'd been using for so many years. He couldn't help but flashback to the last time he visited the hospital via ambulance- the day that he was shot. Again he would have never admitted it to his children, but he thought he might have died momentarily. The one time he broached that subject with the boys was the last time- they just scoffed at him and his notion of the afterlife.

_Of course, the one person that would understand that would be Daphne. Maybe Niles would not be so quick to criticize. _He couldn't help but smile a bit. Daphne Moon had unknowingly cast some kind of spell on his youngest child. Better her than Maris. Better a witch than a…

"Dad." Frasier spoke up. "I think I would like a cup of coffee. Would you like me to bring you something?"

"What, you think I'm not capable of getting it myself?" He stood up with the help of his cane. "I'll get it myself thank you very much."

Daphne looked over at the two.

"Don't worry, Daphne. I'm praying he'll go for decaf this time."

She did not find the joke amusing in the least. _ Go ahead and pray for coffee, while your brother is undergoing an operation_, she wanted badly to say. Maybe it was all the psychobabble she'd heard over the years, or perhaps it was her empathetic nature, that kept her quiet. They'd had Niles all of their lives; she'd only known him for several years. They'd only decided to start dating a few months earlier, when she had left Donnie at the altar. Now she surer of anything in her life that she'd made the right decision. Thank God it was her and not Mel nor Maris at Nile's side right now. _The two Dobermans wouldn't have sacrificed a day at the spa to be there for him._

And who would know more about sacrifice than the Crane family? Frasier provided the comfort of his own home so that Martin could have a nice life. The fateful day when she was hired to take care of the elder Crane wasn't any easy one for the two Cranes. Martin could easily have been reduced to living in a retirement home, something that would have killed the proud man. She knew Frasier hadn't been crazy about the idea of Martin staying with him at first, and especially hadn't been prepared to take her in as well. Only recently did she learn of Niles' role in the matter. Frasier was depressed over a few terrible incidents that occurred that week. Daphne decided it was time to thank Frasier for what he'd done for her. She'd remarked that he was probably the least selfish person she'd known. And she tried to say it with a straight face. Frasier had just gone through another breakup, and Lilith had announced she was getting remarried. It was late at night and they shared a tea, while he poured his heart out to her. So when she told him about what a wonderful thing he'd done for his father, Frasier let it slip that it was Niles' idea.

"No, Daphne. You're wrong. I'm not responsible for how well things have worked out for my father. It was all Niles' idea. He made sure that Dad would have everything he needed. I was so selfish, but Niles hadn't even thought twice about helping. So you see, maybe I am the problem, not Lilith, or any other woman I've dated."

She didn't say anything. It had taken almost 7 years for him to mention that Niles had encouraged Frasier to take their father in? That was just like Frasier to take all the credit. But Niles, being the kind and modest person that he was, (at least with her!) he never dreamed of making the situation more uncomfortable for the whole family. While Maris would never have allowed for the elder Crane to live at her mansion, Niles contributed financially to his father's well being.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voices of Frasier and his father fighting. "Oh for pete's sake." She muttered. They were standing at the vending machine apparently fighting over a piece of chocolate.

Daphne didn't think twice. She spotted a fire extinguisher and smashed open the vending machine. "There you go."

Neither man knew what to say. Frasier spotted a tear falling from her eyes, and approached her. "Daph.."

She turned around and hugged him. He patted her back , trying to reassure her. Her feminine ways had certainly helped in dealing with the tension. Her tears was the admission of fears that they all were feeling. They had something do other than just sit and be lost in their own thoughts.

"There, there, Daphne. He'll be alright. He may not look it but he's one of the toughest guys I've ever met. And believe me, I've met some men that John Wayne wouldn't even fight." Martin told her. That's not quite what he was thinking. _Niles is so scrawny, how could be expected to make it? I may lose my son and there's nothing that I can do. I can't even say all the right words like Frasier does, so the best I can do is make a dumb joke._

As the two men continued to stand around her, offering words of support, Daphne's tears fell down, almost as if a dam had burst. _It isn't fair, I've never really told Niles how I truly feel about him. I have felt comfortable knowing that he's crazy about me. But it's not about me-not anymore. This man has given and given. It's time for me to show him how special he really is…if I have time." _

While the two men understood her grief, they had no way of knowing how guilty she felt.

Frasier, of course, suspected that she was flooded with emotions she'd never faced before. True, she'd been courageous for not marrying someone she hadn't really loved. And now it was time for her to show that same courage for a man she truly loved. It was as if he were seeing her for the first time. Now he knew how his brother must have felt the first day that he saw her. This woman wasn't afraid to show feelings, she was as capable of giving love as she was receiving it. It had obviously taken her a long time to come to this place, and his brother's patience had undoubtedly taught her a lot.

_Niles is really lucky to have you in his life,_ Frasier grudgingly admitted. _You're completely different from any other woman we have ever known. Except, perhaps, for Mom. She encouraged us to be the best we can be. _He smiled at the memory. It had been a long time since he allowed himself to acknowledge the grief he'd felt when his mom passed away._ Dad was just crazy about my mother. No wonder he has taken a liking to you. Mom would have liked you. No, she would have loved you like the daughter she'd never had. You make my brother happy, and really that's all any parent wants for their child._

Suddenly the doctor appeared. "I'm sorry to disturb you. But I wanted to let you know that Dr. Crane's operation was successful. I have to be honest with you, he stayed under the anesthesia longer than we'd liked. But he's come to, although he's obviously a little groggy. He's not making a whole lot of sense. He's asking for his father. Instead of Dad, he's saying "daff."

The Cranes looked at Daphne, whose face lit up with joy.

"Can she see him now?" Frasier asked.

"Is she family?"

Martin placed his hand on her shoulder. "She sure is."

In the recovery room….

"Niles…can you hear me. It's me…" she took his hand and rubbed it gently, "We're all here now."

He smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"Oh Niles, you always know what to say."

He had no strength, but he appreciated Daphne's support.

"Ssh, honey, don't say anything. You need your rest. And I need you." She accidentally blurted out something she'd never said to any man before.

"Do you mean it?" Women had used him, had selected him. But they never really needed him. Until now, he hadn't been able to identify what it was that had been missing in the relationships.

"Of course I do, silly. I just….I didn't want you to think badly of me. " She couldn't help crying. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm a fool. Here you are, so brave, and I just keep babbling on."

Here was the only woman who had ever cried over him. "Cry and babble all you want. I don't mind. In fact…I love that about you."

She kissed his forehead. " I'd better dash off now. Your father and brother have been patiently waiting outside."

"When has my brother ever been patient?"

She laughed. "and anyways, I have to go take care of Eddie for a bit. While I'm there, would you like me to fix you something?"

"No thank you, I'll take my chances with the hospital food."

Ordinarily a comment like that might have hurt her feelings. But she was so happy that he was okay, nothing could have burst her bubble.

"I'll be back. I …I love you. I'm a lucky woman indeed to have you. Where have you been all my life?" she teased.

He raised an eyebrow, ready to protest. He'd been in love with her for so long, he'd sometimes thought that she was just a dream. But here she was, taking care of him, asking what he needed. No woman had ever loved him like that. He'd always been the gardener, tending to both Maris' and Mel's wants and needs. Now here was Daphne, by his side when he needed her the most. "Thank you.."

"Shh. I'll be back. And you don't have to thank me. It's impossible not to love you."

He grinned his boyish smile, before drifting back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews! Like I said, I am very new to writing, but I enjoy it. The writing on the show was so great that I was afraid to try. So please let me know if my writing gets too far out of character. I have trouble writing anything but mostly dialogue, so any advice would be really appreciated.

'"Daphne", Frasier sat down at the kitchen table beside her. Candles filled the room, and she seemed to be lost in thought. "it's not good for you to be alone. Care for some company?"

No matter how often he drove her crazy, she still appreciated the sensitive side that occasionally shone through. For someone so smart he sure could say the wrong things at time. This wouldn't be one of those times. After all, they both shared a mutual distress over his brother's condition.

Even under the dim lights of his apartment, he saw the dark circles underneath his friend's eyes. Normally her luxurious chestnut-colored hair fell softly to her shoulders. Understandably, she had it pulled up in a loose bun. Funny, even dressed in what he believed is the ugliest robe known to mankind, she still was a beautiful woman. Love had made her even prettier, in his opinion.

Tea nearly spilled out of the cup as she stirred the tea continuously. Gently, he placed his hand over hers as to bring back her focus onto the moment.

"You know, I've been told once or twice that I'm a good listener. If I can be of any help.."

"you're awfully kind, Dr. Crane. You have enough of a burden without my problems."

"normally I would never be presumptuous enough to intrude on your innermost thoughts. But.."

With that, she started to cry even more. "I'm sorry…I just.." She stood up, hoping to go to bed. There was no way to face him, especially when her thoughts were so unpleasant. And she didn't want to add anymore distress to the already delicate situation. But she just couldn't help it-she needed to talk about what was on her mind, what had happened when she had tried to sleep. She slid down into her chair.

"Go ahead, Daphne. I'm listening."

" I know you say that for a living.I don't think you could..'

"You had a vision, didn't you."

"How did you know?"

"I might be psychic as well. " Under normal situations, he never put any stock in her superstitions. Tonight, however, was the time to listen to whatever she needed to say. Obviously this was stressing badly, and his brother would hate to see her like that. Any personal apprehensions he had about her beliefs would have to be set aside. No matter how hard it was for him to hear it, he owed to Niles to offer his support.

"I had a vision…of death." She sputtered out. "I just don't want to believe it, but I do. I just sense the end is near, I'm seeing that Niles is saying goodbye. Oh Dr. Crane, I wish more than anything that I didn't have these bloody visions."

"You said it yourself, Daphne. Don't you see..it may be the end of something. That doesn't mean he's dying. You realize that the both of you have ended parts of your life, in a sense. It means the end of the denial of your feelings, the end of all the lying to yourself, to all of the pretending. This is the end of one phase-and the beginning of something new. The subconscious mind is a powerful way to protect one's self from uncomfortable feelings. Perhaps there are some uncertainties, you might be insecure about something. It's natural to transfer emotions during a difficult time, when someone you care about is hospitalized. Your profession is one where to assist in other people's physical recoveries. You wish you could do more to help him. Trust me when I say that you've already helped him to heal, in more ways than one."

No matter how badly she wanted to believe his words, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something terribly dreadful was about to happen." I think I understand your point. But I'm not sure that you understand. I see very clearly that he's saying goodbye."

Suddenly Eddie ran across the floor. That could only mean one thing. Marty looked over at them with a sad look in his eyes. No one could speak. He heard that Niles was dying, without having the context of the statement.

"Oh Mr. Crane." Daphne stood up. "I'm so sorry…I was just talking rubbish. Of course he will be fine. I was just telling Frasier about a dream I had, that's all. I didn't mean to upset you."

He wasn't sure that he believed her. But he'd only gotten 2 hours sleep and didn't quite know what to say. Of course he was scared.

"Frasier, you feel like driving us to the hospital?"

"OF course."

"And Daphne.. I just had my own vision."

"What is it Mr. Crane?" she asked, panic stricken.

" I have a vision of you in the kitchen, whipping up some pancakes."

Daphne was more than glad to go into the kitchen as she was quite embarrassed for her comments. She opened her mouth to speak, but Frasier put his hand in the air, indicating that he would take care of everything.

"Dad…you okay?" He asked as his father sat down on the chair that Daphne vacated.

"Just dandy. And I don't want you to start analyzing anything or try to get me to open up. Niles will just fine."

Anyone else would have dropped the subject. And of course, this was Frasier, and he persisted. "Dad. What you heard.."

"I don't want to talk about what you think I heard. I know that I heard my stomach growling so I came out for a bite to eat. That's all there is to it."

Frasier nodded, now understanding that his father just could not show any fears that he'd had. After all, he had been a decorated cop, and had learned how to put up that brave front. The most important thing in the world to him was for his children to see him as unafraid of anything. They were so independent, that sometimes he wondered what he really had to offer them. Frasier was always getting total strangers to talk. Well Marty just wasn't ready to talk to anyone about how he really felt, especially his own son.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day at the hospital, Daphne, Frasier, and Marty were all shocked to see a woman standing beside Niles. It was Mel, Niles' estranged wife.

"What are you doing here?" Daphne asked, shocked.

"I'm sorry, but I'm his wife legally. You can cavort with him on your own time, but not in the hospital. What kind of wife would I be if allowed my husband's mistress to play nurse?'She smiled smugly. "I've already made arrangements with staff-you are not welcome in this room."

It was hard to say which of the three were more shocked at the abruptness of Niles' wife-in-name-only. She was the last person anyone expected to see at that moment. Maris's appearance would have been more welcome, and that was saying a lot about the Cranes' feelings. Even Lilith would have had more compassion for the family. Martin tightened his grip on his cane, while Daphne looked over towards Frasier.

"You cannot be serious, Mel." Frasier exclaimed. Niles, although sleeping, appeared to be tensing up. "May I see you in the other room please?"

"Certainly. But Miss Moon must leave. You certainly wouldn't want to make things complicated for Niles."

Marty looked at Daphne. "Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

"No thank you. You stay, he needs you in here. I'll be in the lobby waiting." She said sadly. But she glared at Mel on the way out. "Wife, my arse" she muttered, low enough so that Niles couldn't hear her. But Martin was secretly proud of her for saying exactly what he had been thinking. He had never for the life understood either of his sons' taste in women. Daphne's warmness and caring personality were a welcome contrast to the romantic interests of either of his boys. Niles especially appreciated her sensitivity. But it was her ability to call things as she saw them that Marty respected the most.

"Excuse me?" Mel asked, indignantly. She followed Daphne out into the waiting room. Frasier followed, careful to shut the door behind him.

"You heard me. Niles has spent more time with Eddie than he ever has with you. You don't own this hospital. I'm not going anywhere until he's ready to come home."

"But I am the one he married. He hasn't asked you to marry him, has he?" Mel grinned smugly. "I thought so. Now if you don't mind.." Then her cell phone rang. As she walked away, Daphne overheard her sighing and thanking someone for their support.

Why, this is nothing more than just another attempt at playing the victim! It didn't matter that Niles' life was in danger. All that mattered to Mel was keeping appearances. And if she continued to fight with Mel, that would only add fuel to the fire. Mel's efforts to plant doubts in Daphne's mind seemed to work.

Maybe he would want her to just play along, like she had been doing. Niles had allowed the charade of a marriage to continue up until this point; maybe she should listen to Mel.

"Daphne," Frasier interrupted her thoughts by placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Of course you can stay. I will clear up this travesty.."

"No, Dr. Crane. I don't want to cause any fuss for Niles. He doesn't need to be around bickering and I don't think I can keep my trap shut with that woman around. I'm sure I love him, and I hope that he knows that. You saw how he became agitated at the tension in the room. He waited patiently for me for years. Perhaps it's my turn to show him the same kind of patience." She shook her head. " I don't know what to do. "

He offered an embrace, which she gladly accepted. Thankfully, he spotted Roz headed in their direction. Surely she could comfort Daphne while he talked with the doctors. Roz needed no cue to pull Daphne over to her, and hugged her. Frasier nodded, and made his way back into Niles' room to check in on his brother. This time he was careful to leave the door open. Over Roz's shoulders Daphne wistfully watched her boyfriend, who was now sleeping peacefully. Mel may have had the authority to stop her from visiting him. Nothing, Daphne silent vowed, could stop her from loving him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Daphne." Frasier whispered. It was bad enough that his father had brought that ugly recliner into his house. But now Daphne, poor thing, had been so exhausted that she'd fallen asleep in it. Even Eddie apparently sensed that something was amiss. His father's beloved animal had settled down at the foot of the chair, almost daring anyone to disturb her slumber. "Daphne, wake up."

"What is it, Dr. Crane?" she muttered, still half asleep. "Is it Niles?"

"He is resting comfortably. The doctors say he's doing well. "

"Well that's a bloody relief. Of course I would feel better seeing him for myself." She stood up to stretch."I'm sorry, you must think I'm awfully selfish. I just..well, I.."

"Shh. You don't have to explain yourself. In fact I'm happy to see that my brother has someone to care about him so."

She stood up, almost tripping over Eddie. "Silly old thing." "nodding over Frasier, she asked. "would you like me to make some coffee?"

"No, actually. Dad had a craving for some Ballentine, and we were hoping you would go with us to pick some up. You see, I don't want to be seen in public touching that 'brew'; Dad's simply too worn out to go in the store. If you just run in for us, then I'll drop you two off before going to work."

It was definitely a good sign that he was returning to work. But beer, at 4 am? That was odd, even for the Crane family.

"I'm exhausted, couldn't you just run in?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't. Please, won't you do this. For us? For Niles?"

"Now you're just not playing fair. Alright, I'll do it for you. Let me fetch my slippers."

"Thank you, Daphne. Oh, by the way..you may want to take a comb to your hair."

He heard her whisper something about beggers being choosers, but he let it slide. "Dad." He whispered. "It's time to go."

Later on in the car, it was apparent that they were not making a beer run. Daphne started to feel very uncomfortable, as it seemed as if they were just being cruel. Mel had insisted that Daphne stay away from the hospital, and she had no choice but to honor that demand. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause her beloved Niles any more stress while he recuperated.

As if he were reading her mind, Frasier spoke up. "We were thinking of visiting Niles. Surely you won't mind?Dad wanted to stop off for a minute before heading to the store."

This was unbelievable. Could they torture her anymore? Of course, she couldn't begrudge them anything, as they had been undeniably kind to her over the years. Even if she wanted to tell Frasier where to go, she refused to speak up on account of Mr. Crane. He'd been more like a father to her than her own father had. Niles would want her to keep the peace, she was certain.

Now it was Marty's turn to read her mind. "Can I tell her now, Frasier?"

"Oh, all right. She'll find out soon enough, I suppose."

"Tell me what?" Now she began to panic, as they pulled up to the valet parking.

"You're coming in with us." Frasier said.

"You heard Mel, they'll have me arrested if I step foot in.."

Marty smiled. "It just so happens that one of my buddies from the force has a son who happens to moonlight as a security guard. Frasier's not the only one with connections."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh thank you!"

"Don't mention it." He smiled, knowing that he was able to help everyone out in his own way. Not often did he feel as if he could offer his boys too much. After all, they were extremely well off and quite independent. Seeing the pure joy on his the face of his son's girlfriend was reward enough. Even a hardened , retired old cop couldn't help but feel a little teary eyed. "Let's go now. My hip's going to give up if I don't get out of here."

"Shall I request a wheelchair?" Frasier couldn't help himself.

"Only if I can request a muzzle. Now let's go."

Frasier and Marty went into Nile's room first, to see if he was awake. Not only was he awake, but he seemed to be quite alert.

"Son, I'm going to step out for a minute. Have to stretch my legs. Frasier, could you help me?" he asked, feeling somewhat more reassured that his son would be alright."By the way, we have a surprise for you."

"I don't think my heart could take a surprise."

"Oh I think this one will be good for your heart." Frasier smiled.

Taking her cue, Daphne entered. "Hello Niles."

His eyes lit up, and he immediately sat up. "I've never been so glad to see you, if that is even possible. Frasier, thank you for arranging this."

"Well I'd like to serve another candle lit dinner for the both of you, but under the circumstances, " he nodded towards the oxygen machine." I don't think that it would be appropriate."

"How considerate."

Daphne pulled up a seat next to his bedside. "I hope you don't mind if I visit."

"Of course not."

"Ssh. Don't say anything. " She took his hand. "save your energy. You'll need it after you come back home."

Frasier nodded at his brother, than stepped outside. It never ceased to amaze him how a friendship had grown into such a wonderful relationship. Of course he couldn't help but wonder if it would be his turn. More than once he thought of his closet female friend, and wondered if there ever might be anythimg more between them. Thank God for Roz; he owed her so much for her assistance in running his show in his absence. That's what friends were for. But as he looked over at Niles and Daphne, he couldn't help but wonder if Roz would be at his bedside should he ever be hospitalized.

Meanwhile, the only sound in the room was that of Niles' heart monitor. The couple held hands, and savored the moment.

Finally Niles spoke up. "Daphne, I can't thank you enough for being here. You mean more to me than you could ever possibly realize."

"You don't have to thank me, Dr..I mean, Niles." She grinned at her slip. "I do love you."

The way she blushed was something he found quite endearing. "You know, I had the most fascinating dream. Something about you and a nurse's outfit." He grinned.


	5. Chapter 5

"Tomorrow's the big day. Niles is coming home. You must be so excited." Roz said as she reached for her cup of coffee. She suspected that Daphne would benefit greatly from a quick visit to Café Nervosa. "I'm glad you came with me. I'm sure this helps you to think of Niles…"

Roz was only trying to help but seemed to be of little comfort. Daphne began to cry again. There was one person who might be able to help. Roz grabbed her purse. "Excuse me. I'm out of tissues. Let me go grab some tissues for you. I'll be right back."

All Daphne could do was nod her head. She thought it would be a good idea to visit the favorite hangout spot of her boyfriend. Mel certainly couldn't stop her from showing up at the café. Mel –how she hated that name. The events of the past couple of months were still very much a blur. After Frasier let her know how Niles had felt about her for years, Daphne had been forced to make some very tough decisions. Of course she would never regret listening to her heart by leaving her own wedding- with Niles. But they had agreed to take time to get to know each other in this new light that they'd discovered. In the meanwhile they'd both had to deal with the consequences of hurting those that had loved them. It wasn't easy, for sure, but Daphne was certain that she'd found something worth waiting for. But she'd never expected for Niles to become so sick. Things were happening so fast that she could barely function. Most of all, she couldn't stop thinking about what she would do without Niles. They hadn't even consummated their love. They'd always assumed there would be plenty of time for that. She had pushed him away before letting anything get too serious. But now Niles would be returning home soon, and she wanted to make sure that Niles knew exactly what he meant to her.

Roz ran into the restroom to grab some tissues. At the same time, she pulled out her cell phone. As much as she hated to admit it she'd felt much better during all of this because of Frasier. It was easier to make fun of him than to allow herself to think of what might have happened to Niles. Good old Frasier, she smiled. "_Oh great_, "she looked in the mirror. She wiped the tear away quickly.

_Why am I crying? It's not like Niles is my boyfriend._

She hated for herself for thinking that, but she just couldn't pinpoint what it was that was causing her to be more emotional than ever.

_It would be nice to have a boyfriend right now._ She admitted. _Daphne's lucky to have the Cranes as an extended family. _

_Then again, she'll have Frasier for a brother-in-law._

Roz smiled, and knew that Daphne could use some expert advice at the moment.

After stepping outside--

Damn, she thought. She dialed Frasier's number. No answer. She dialed it one more time to make sure, then she gave up. Why couldn't he be there when she needed him? It was strange, she never really thought about him in that way before. After all, she would always see him at the radio station. A time or 

two he'd watched Alice for her. All joking aside, he'd been a very good friend to her. Admittedly she hadn't been all that fond of his brother for the longest time.

Silently she berated herself for having such negative thoughts. It was a good thing no one could read her mind.

"Hey Roz."

Frasier must have right around the corner. No wonder she couldn't reach him. "Hey." She looked away nervously.

"I tried to call you. I ..well Daphne's pretty nervous and I thought that maybe you could help. After all she knows Mel is going to be at the hospital. She asked me what to do about Mel."

"What did you say?"

"I told her that I would knock Mel into next year."

Frasier nodded. "Of course. I should have guessed as much. Perhaps a more reasonable solution can be found." Frasier went to place his order, while Roz handed Daphne some tissues.

Roz sat down at the table across from Daphne. "Here you go, honey. It's going to be okay."

Alarmed, Frasier hurried back to their table. "What's wrong, Daphne? He'll be home tomorrow. He's better than ever. The doctors have assured me that he will be just fine. There's no reason to cry."

As soon as he said that her tears began to flow again. "I know that, Dr. Crane.My head knows that he's okay. But my heart says it's not. After all, I told you about that vision I had where I've lost him. It hasn't come true yet. And I'm just scared. You see, I'm not sure that Niles really knows how I feel about him. I took my time trying to accept his feelings for me. I just keep thinking about what would happen if something happened to him if I hadn't told him that I loved him. What if I'm right about what I saw in my vision?"

"Maybe you were mistaken."Frasier said.

"I do hope you're right." Daphne finally stopped crying. "I feel a bit silly now."

"Frasier's right. I'm sure whatever you saw wasn't what you think it was." Roz encouraged. "No one's right all the time. Even the best of doctors aren't right 100 of the time."

Frasier glared at her, and offered Daphne his handkerchief. He knew Roz had meant well. But before he could say anything both women broke down in tears. Once again, Roz stuck her foot in her mouth. Not that he minded, terribly. If she hadn't said that he probably would have made a similar insensitive comment.

"Sir," the server interrupted. "May I refill your drinks?"

"Yes, thank you. We'll take them to go." He felt helpless at the sight of his two closest female friends, knowing that there really wasn't anything he could say to them. He started to speak to them, but by now they were both resting on each of his shoulders."Oh, and make them decaf."

At the hospital …

Frasier sits down beside his brother while his father was talking to the doctors about Niles' release. Of course Daphne wanted to be there, but Mel had made her presence known. She was currently getting her bi-weekly botox injection, but would be returning shortly.

"you know, Niles…it's good to see you. I am so relieved that everything turned out so well. Not that I'm happy that you had to go through this, of course,"

"It's okay Frasier. I know what you mean."

Frasier pulled up a seat beside his brother. "You know, I may not have told you this, but I, well, I feel lucky to have you as my brother."

Niles was stunned. He'd always looked up to his older brother, but could never admit to it. "Thank you, Frasier. I appreciate that much more than you know." He looked wistfully out the window. "Say, what's the weather like today? I hear it's supposed to be quite sunny out. What do you think, is there a chance of sun?"

"It's Seattle, Niles. It's going to rain all day long."

"Figures."

Both knew that the small talk was just a way to deal with all of their emotions. What they didn't know was that their father was standing outside of the room. Marty was ready to announce his presence, but realized that this was the first opportunity that his boys had to speak to each other since Niles' operation. Marty told himself that he was standing there in case Mel appeared, but even he knew that wasn't the case. It took him back to the times he would check in on his kids before heading to work, expecting them to be fast asleep. But sometimes Frasier would be standing up, speaking to his brother on the top bunk. And just as he did back then, Marty smiled,kept quiet and listened for a minute.

For a minute the room grew quiet, but then both boys started to speak at the same time.

"How's the coffee?..No, I'm sorry…go ahead."

"How are things at home?"

"She's fine, Niles." He smiled. "She's been extremely worried, of course. I think that..never mind. " Now he turned to look out the window. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and cause Niles to worry needlessly. But he knew that it was vital that his brother knew how much Daphne cared about him.

"Frasier, I asked you a question-and I need you to tell me the truth. Don't say ' she's fine.' "

"Well this has been difficult for her. For one thing Mel's been hanging around, and as you know, she's just not a fan of Daphne's. In fact she pulled her strings in order to keep Daphne away from your hospital room. I would never have told you that, if I didn't think that you deserved to know the truth. You deserve to know the truth-about both women. Mel's not the only one who has shown her true colors."

Niles tightened his grip on the side rail of his hospital bed, as if to ward off some vicious blow. What if Daphne was ready to walk away from him? He could hardly blame her. Nothing had gone quite as planned after they declared their feelings for each other. Although he and Daphne had known each other for years, they had only officially been dating for a few weeks. They had never had to deal with a serious crisis together. Even the strongest of marriages have broken up over health issues of one of the partners. He'd witnessed this type of problem many times in his years of practice. The thought hadn't even occurred to him that Daphne wouldn't wait for him. But now, seeds of doubt crept through his mind. It was almost too much for him to hear the names Daphne and Mel in the same sentence, so he brought up the other woman from his past.

"You know," Niles spoke up softly. "Maris called. Or at least I think she did-it might have been the anesthesia getting to me. But I do think that it was a gracious gesture on her part. And I can't help but think about what would have happened if she had ever shown me such consideration during our marriage. Would I be where I'm at now?" Obviously he did not mean the hospital bed. But after facing his own mortality, it was natural for him to reevaluate his life.

" I don't know, Niles. Perhaps she would have found you a leisure spa in Switzerland to assist in your recovery."

"No, Frasier. I'm quite serious. I'm not sure that I would have ever divorced her. I very well might not have been with Daphne. What do you think?"

"I would love to sit here and tell you that I have all the answers.."

Ha, both Niles and Marty thought. You're going to anyways.

"I don't think that you and Daphne would have been together." Frasier conceded. "But the trouble is that you are questioning your current feelings on a situation that you know rationally could not have happened if Maris had been a loving wife. Truth be told, Maris simply wasn't capable of giving you the love that you are looking for. But you knew that, and yet you married her anyways."

Niles was stunned by the harshness in his brother's words, although he knew that he was right.

" To answer your question- It is to your credit that you wouldn't have given up on your marriage for frivolous reasons. For that, I truly admire you. The dissolution of your marriage reveals much more about Maris than it does about you."

"You may be right, Frasier. It's just that I look back on Mom and Dad's marriage, and it amazes me that they were together for so long. I just..I don't know why but I feel as if I've let Mom and Dad down somehow. "

Martin, in the background, wished there was something he could do to reassure his son that he was indeed proud of him. But as he was never one who was comfortable talking about feelings, he decided to keep quiet.

"You know, Niles, you're not the only one who feels that way."

"You mean…"

"Yes, Niles. I myself have struggled with these very same thoughts for years. There are things that I would have done differently. I, too, had completely different visions of what my home life would have been like had I not married Lillith. But I think of my son...and, well….ultimately, I have no regrets. After Lilith and I separated, she left me solely in charge of Frederick's care for a while. "

"I never knew that. Does Dad know?"

"I didn't discuss that with him. I was so angry at Lilith that I couldn't appreciate the wonderful things in my life at that time. I had friends, my son…what I didn't have was my family. I stayed in Boston, and they were my family. But you and Dad- well, I wish that you two could have known my son back then. I thought that Dr. Spock knew more about child rearing that my own father did. Dad may not have been able to give me the name of the best boarding school for kindergartners, but Dad would have loved to take Frederick fishing. I thought that I was strong enough to deal with everything on my own. But the truth is- well, having you and Dad in my life again has been a miracle to me. I can't help but wonder what kind of grandmother our mom would have been."

Marty Crane was certainly no psychiatrist, but he knew that this conversation was a long time coming. And although he didn't realize it, it was also therapeutic for himself as well. These kinds of thoughts were easier to hear coming from someone else.

"What about you? Would you have stayed with Lilith had you known how things would end?"

Frasier shook his head, as he faced a dilemma. He could play psychiatrist, and just tell Niles enough to pacify his doubts. But, as he himself had just pointed out, there was nothing quite like family.

"To be honest, I think that I would have stayed with her. I am not sure that I would have walked away from Lillith, no matter what had happened between us."

Both Niles and Marty cringed.

"I never have told anyone here in Seattle- but I had asked her to stay. Even though she'd strayed. I thought if I could just work hard enough for the both of us, the marriage would last. And we both know how Dad stood by Mom after she had cheated."

Marty almost left, but he just couldn't pry himself away from the conversation. It was difficult for him, but at least he wasn't the one lying in the hospital bed talking about unpleasant things. This time. If either of them said a bad word about their mother, then he would go in and straighten them out. Times had changed. Back in his day men never talked about a wife's infidelity. But it wasn't as if the boys were talking about their mother to strangers. Bar buddies and work buddies were one thing, but at least his sons had the decency to keep this conversation to themselves.

"So you wanted to be like Dad." Niles pointed out.

Frasier smiled. "Yes, I suppose that I had, indeed wanted to be like my Dad. And when I couldn't…well it was Lilith's fault. "

"For a Freudian, you sure are missing the boat." Niles spoke up. "Don't you see…Lilith's the villain, while Mom's the saint. I agree with your feelings-and I share them. But Lilith is not Mom. It was Lililth's character defect that caused her to stray. Mom made the choice to stay , and to make her marriage work. Good thing or I probably wouldn't be here as we speak. But don't you see, Frasier, that your marriage was about choices. Mom made some bad choices, true. But she made the choice to put her husband first. She made a choice that neither Maris nor Lilith were capable of making. You chose to work on your marriage, while Lilith made other choices. You know, my life has been quite the opposite. I've made a lifetime of not making decisions. I didn't decide to confront Maris on how she treated me. You actually were the one to help me make that decision. I had wanted children. But I hadn't chosen a woman who wanted the same things as I did. I had wanted Daphne for so long, but yet I never asked her out, even after I became free to do so. All my life I have just been doing what everyone expects of me. Sometimes I still feel like the little brother who just tagged along for the ride, without even asking."

"No one had asked me if I wanted a little brother." Frasier smiled. "And if they had I would.."

"You would have said no." Niles laughed.

"True. But what I'm trying to get you to see is that you now have a chance to live your life in a completely different manner. You see, Niles, that I envy you. Perhaps you don't have children yet, or whatever it is that you think will truly make you happy. But what you do have is a family that cares about you. And that includes Daphne. We all know how you light up whenever she's around. And now everyone sees how she lights up whenever you're around. And whenever you're not around, as well. Sometimes whenever she slips up and refers to you as Dr. Crane rather than Niles, she will blush and giggle as well as any schoolgirl ever could. Come to think of it, you do the same thing."

"Niles, " announced his father, in an exaggerated tone. "It's me. Dad." He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Both of his sons spoke up at the same time."

"I just saw Mel. She's talking to a doctor. And I think she should see one herself. I don't know what that Botox does exactly, but she could easily be mistaken for a Klingon. "

"Oh could I, now?"

The three men grew quiet, anticipating what Mel would have to say next.


	6. Chapter 6

" Now, Mel, Don't take offense; some cultures consider Klingon to be the ultimate life form." Niles stammered. "help me out" he whispered to Frasier. For the first time in Frasier's life, he prayed that Noel would appear and bail him out.

"And what culture would that be?" Mel said in that sickening polite voice that only the upper crust members of society could get away with using. And that voice, which Niles would have readily excused in the past, now irritated him beyond belief. Yet seeing as he was lying in his hospital bed, wisdom prevailed and he kept quiet. How could he have even dated this woman, let alone eloped with her? Daphne, the love of his life, was right in front of him for years. She hadn't left his side nor his heart throughout this ordeal. Meanwhile, Niles prayed that Mel would just go away.

" Now, Mel, maybe I said something I shouldn't have said. Why don't Frasier and I just give you two a moment?" Martin did not particularly care for Mel. In fact, he would go as far as to say that he could not stand to be in the same room as her. But he loved his son; if it meant bowing down and kissing Mel's feet to keep Niles' health steady, so be it.

Niles' pain medicine was beginning to kick in. All he wanted to do was to sleep and to be held by the woman he loved. "Good night Daphne, my love." He took Mel's hand, and kissed it gently, and finally drifted back to sleep.

Mel's eyes widened as only those of a woman scorned could do. She pulled her hair back from her freshly tightened forehead.

_So you've been sneaking around with my husband, have you? There is no way I will tolerate this! I could understand feelings and affections…even common people develop feelings for someone out of reach. But this has to stop. I will see to this that it does. Poor Niles does not even realize that this domestic help is just after is money. That is so clear to everyone but him. Well I will show him what kind of woman she really is. Then we will be able to have the life that he promised me. _

_ - - - -- - - - - - - -- --_

"Roz, thank you for coming over on such short notice. I just didn't think that I could stand to be alone for one more minute." Daphne continued to fold laundry, unable to look up at her friend. Making eye contact with anyone meant crying, and she had promised Niles that she would be strong for him. Only tears of joy at his homecoming party would be allowed from this day forward. That promise might be easier said than done, but it was worth a try.

"That is the strangest way to fold socks I've ever seen. Why can't you just bunch them up the way normal people do? Let me guess. They are Frasier's." Roz dryly remarked. Each time she picked up a towel to fold Daphne grabbed it away from her. Finally Roz gave up, realizing that her friend needed moral rather than domestic support.

"Everyone has their own strange little quirks. That makes them unique. Do you sing while you cook?"

"I love to! It breaks up the monotony."

"One time Niles and I were preparing and we were singing 'Heart and Soul'…Oh no…heart.."

"It's okay Daphne. Niles is just fine."

"He's not just fine. That's the problem. Nothing will be the same again. He could very well decide that he doesn't want to be the kind of person who runs out on his wife. And I'm not sure that I want him to. I love him very much, Roz. I scare myself by how much I think about him night and day. Even before he got sick, I thought about him constantly. I wondered who he met, if he met any pretty clients, if he was thinking of me, you know, " she smiled at Roz. "that sort of thing. If I tell you something- I think it's awfully cute, but you'll think it's strange- will you promise not to laugh?"

At any other time Roz would love to laugh at Niles. "Oh, Daphne, I promise."

"I think he used to walk by me and smell my shampoo."

"Okay that's not strange. That's creepy."

Even Daphne laughed. "Okay. But you know what I mean. What girl doesn't want a man who makes up silly excuses to be around her? I never thought anything about it at first. But now it makes sense. Roz..I really do think that he loves me. And I love him." Daphne felt so much better saying aloud the thoughts that she'd kept bottled up for so long. These were the kinds of secrets that were best kept between the best of girl friends.

"See? He adores you! That's exactly why he needs you right now. Just be patient. These things always have a way of working out for the best. " Roz noticed that Daphne wasn't putting up a fight now when Roz grabbed some clothes to fold.

"He doesn't need me. He wants me. There is a difference. He has a wife. Like it or not, that's the way it is. And the sooner I accept it, the better. Of course I will be kind and loving towards him while he's recuperating. But as soon as he's healed, I'm going to have to tell him that until he's divorced. My mind's made up." Daphne said. "Oh is that the doorbell? I'll be right back."

Little did Daphne know that she would have little choice but to stay away from Niles. Mel had served Daphne with a restraining order.


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I need to go back home for a bit. I hope you understand. This is all a bit too complicated right now. I just don't have much of a choice." Daphne sighed, over a cup of tea at Café Nervosa. "I hope you understand."

"Are you giving me notice?" Frasier was alarmed, for his entire family dynamic was about to change. And not for the better. He and his father would certainly be sad to see her leave. Her warmth and sense of humor were irreplaceable. Frankly, given the circumstances, Frasier wasn't sure that his brother would ever be the same if Daphne should never return from Manchester.

"I'm not quitting, if that's what you mean. I just don't know what the point of being in love with someone is if I am legally not allowed to be near him! Mel is right. She's the one who Niles promised to love in sickness in health, not me. I have no place in their marriage, or anyone's marriage for that matter. I wasn't brought up that way. Oh, Dr. Crane," she sighed, lightly holding his hand. "Why couldn't Niles have told me how he felt sooner? He had so many chances to tell me! Can I tell you something, and you have to promise not to tell him I told you this?"

Frasier admittedly wasn't the best person in the world about keeping secrets, as much as he tried. But in this case, he knew he could never betray Daphne's trust. Too much- his brother's relationship with her- was on the line here. "You have my word."

"More coffee, sir?"

"No thank you." Manners were about to disappear if the servers interrupted their conversation one more time. Why couldn't he ever receive such service under normal circumstances? Oh, the lunacy of it all!

"I have to tell you that there was one night years ago that I thought that I might like to get to know your brother better. I don't know if you know this or not, but he took me dancing one night. The snow ball, I believe it was. Some foolish woman cancelled on him. I'll never forget this night. You see, I had a bit of a crush on your brother. I just knew that he would never ask me for a date. So I did something out of character- I offered to give him dancing lessons. You must think that was awfully forward of me, Dr. Crane." Daphne's face blushed to nearly the same crimson shade of her dress of that particular evening.

"Somehow I don't think that Niles minded." Frasier smiled.

"Anyways I overheard him tell your father that his date had cancelled. So I invited myself to be his date. I wanted to catch his eye. I spent a month's salary on one dress. I'm not sure if he remembers that night, but I had a magical evening. I thought for sure he would ask me out for a date. But as it turns out, he was just teasing me in front of his friends. And there you have it- my confession." Daphne smiled at the distant memory.

"Confession is good for the soul."

"I suppose. But none of that matters. Niles and I can not even think about dating. Mel must really love him to put up such a fight. I just don't think I can fight for someone who took seven years and two marriages to tell me he cared for me. "

"More tea, miss?"

"Yes, please."

After the server left, Daphne realized she felt better; she no longer felt like running back to her mum's.

"Daphne, do you think that seven years is a long time?"

"I think it's a bloody long time! I just told you that! Boy for a psychiatrist you sure don't know how to listen."

Frasier just nodded, knowing that she was going to make a smart comment. "Now calm down. How long has Niles been in the hospital?"

"Seven days. I don't see.."

"Why do you think that Niles took that long to tell you how he felt about you?"

"I don't know! You tell me!"

"Don't you see, Daphne? He loves you. When you love someone, really love someone, you can wait. You do things. Love isn't something that we feel. It is something that we do. It's an action word. Love is waiting. Love is not threatening. Love is being patient and being kind. I'd say that if nothing else he's shown you patience and kindness. He made an irrational decision to run off with Mel, and he's told you as much. I'm asking you to not make an irrational decision to run off to Manchester. Two wrongs don't make a right."

"It sounds like you're defending Mel and asking me to stay and watch the two of them work things out!"

"I didn't say that. I asked you to stay and let Niles work things out." Frasier stood up, grabbing the check. " Think about it."

Daphne didn't need to think about it. Her mind was made up. Mel had no idea who she was messing with.


	8. Chapter 8

Final chapter in this story!

_The restraining order says stay away from Niles, not Mel_. Daphne reminded as she paced outside of the hospital. If she could hold her own with her brothers, there was no way one tiny woman would keep her from her man. Niles loved her, not Mel, and it was time to give that woman a friendly reminder. Or not-so-friendly reminder, depending on how the conversation went.

Finally, she spotted the vile woman. What Niles ever saw in her, Daphne would never know.

"Excuse me, but I think it's time for a chat."

Mel rolled her eyes and looked around, as if she couldn't believe her luck. "What is it going to take for you to take the hint? Niles doesn't want you around here. Can't you see that? Don't you have a house to clean or something?"

"That's where your wrong. Actually you are wrong on three counts, First of all, I don't clean houses. I've made Dr. Crane's apartment a home. Secondly, I don't need to take a hint, or any of the other crap you've been handing to me. And most of all…It's not Niles who doesn't want me around here. You're the one who wants me to go away. I have news for you. I have no intentions of leaving. Do you really want me to make a scene? Because you know how us domestics are? Since you're already going to put me in jail I might as well pop you a good one. Right in the nose. Maybe a good shiner would do you good."

"Daphne..calm down." Once again, Mel nervously looked away. "You know that I could never put you in jail."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let me make one other thing clear."

Mel closed her eyes and sighed, resigned to her fate. This woman would just not go away. Daphne had won.

"I'm sorry." Daphne softly yet sincerely spoke up. She placed her hand on Mel's arm, who, strangely, did not pull back.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to hurt you, or Donnie for that matter. And I can say with 100 certainty that Niles never meant to hurt you either. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I don't know what I can say. I'm sorry\."

Mel just stared for another minute, and then walked away. Daphne finally felt free of all the guilt that she'd felt since all of this began. Now she could visit Niles, but first she had to make one stop first.

- - - - - - - -- --

"Come in." Niles replied to the knock. One more day and he was going home, finally. Once he saw who was at the door, he was ready to check himself out AMA. Daphne walked in, wearing that gorgeous gown she wore to the snow ball years ago.

"you're a vision!"

"You say that to all the ladies." She teased.

Niles took her hand. "No, I don't. I'm not joking. If you knew how.."

"I do know how you feel about me. I just wish I knew sooner, But I do love you Niles Crane."

Niles grinned. "I could get used to that. I'm speechless."

"You know, I could get used to that." She teased, before kissing him.

"Where have you been all of my life?"

"That doesn't matter, does it? We're together," she paused long enough to kiss him again. " and I am not going anywhere,"

"Promise?"

"Don't worry, Dr…Niles." She giggled, and he laughed too. "It will take some getting used to calling you by you first name."

"It will seem strange not to pretend to visit Eddie when I really came by to see you."

Once again, they laughed, and then shared another kiss.

"You know, I really could get used to this."

"I hope so, Niles. I do like kissing you."

"That's it. I'm checking out. Doctor's advice be damned."

"Now, now. I'll ride along with your family when they come by to pick you up tomorrow."

"I'd like that a lot. Remind me to thank Frasier again."

"If I don't, he will."

"True."

Niles noticed that Daphne felt a lot more comfortable around him than she had since they had declared their feelings for him. In fact she caught him off guard when she told him that she loved him first. She was happier that he remembered ever seeing her. Could that be his imagination? For goodness sake, she had been twelve hours away from marrying Donny Douglas. Between Daphne and his recent health scare, Niles appreciated all of the second chances he'd been given. He would never let another day go by where he did not show Daphne how much she meant to him.

Maris and Mel aside, he knew he was a very lucky man.


End file.
